EU probe of Apple’s Irish tax deal extended to 2016
A European Union investigation into whether Apple’s bespoke tax arrangement with the Irish government amounts to illegal state aid has been delayed again, as officials in Brussels continue to gather more information.
“We do not expect any decision until after the new year,” a spokesperson for the European Commission told the Financial Times. It is the second such delay this year.
What was initially thought to be a June conclusion was first pushed back in early May.
“We will not sacrifice the rule of law or the quality of our work to speed up the process,” European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager said at the time, blaming the delay on the “time consuming” process of gathering information.
While Apple has long maintained that its arrangement with Ireland is entirely legal, the company is nevertheless preparing should the decision go the other way.
“If the European Commission were to conclude against Ireland, it could require Ireland to recover from the company past taxes covering a period of up to 10 years reflective of the disallowed state aid, and such amount could be material,” the company wrote in a recent quarterly report.
In addition to Apple, the Commission is also investigating similar arrangements between Amazon and Luxembourg as well as Starbucks and the Netherlands.
